Our credit card strategy has changed from travel to earning more points while not traveling during this pandemic. One thing we did while quarantined and ordering online is we collected points and miles in order to save money in the future. Our strategy has changed wanting more benefits with travel and high cash back on Gas.
That space in your wallet or purse is valuable, and you should be the one to get that value. Selected banks are offering strong perks and $500+ value for a single card during the first year to encourage you to apply and try it out. These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now, if I didn’t already have most of them. Notable changes:
IHG Hotels 140k/75k – 140k still highest ever, new 75k traveler offer.
Chase Freedom Unlimited raised to $200 Bonus plus extra cashback on groceries and gas stations
AmEx Blue Cash Preferred to Add Streaming, Transit Bonus Categories
If you pay off your balances every month, then you can join me and many others in funding a huge chunk of your annual travel budget with cash credits, points, and miles. You don’t need to be a “I only fly business class” world traveler. I mostly use my rewards points on domestic economy flights, mid-class hotels, and cheap car rentals. If you have credit card debt, you should focus on paying that off first as the interest charges could offset most of the perks.
This is a companion post to my Top 5 Best Business Card Offers. Small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.
A top travel card is now offering 100,000 bonus points after $5,000 in spending. That’s enough for a dozen short-haul trips, lie-flat seats, or five-star stays.
✔️ 1:1 transfers to major airline and hotel programs ✔️ 5x points on travel portal, 3x on dining ✔️ $50 annual hotel credit ✔️ No foreign transaction fees
$300 in statement credits every cardmember year for bookings made through Capital One Travel; this can be applied toward any type of travel booked through Capital One Travel, including flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. 10,000 bonus Venture miles on the account anniversary every year; there’s no spending requirement to unlock this, and it’s worth a minimum of $100 toward a travel purchase, or could get you up to 10,000 airline miles (which I value at $170)
$200 Bonus when you make a purchase for spending $500 in the first 3 months
5% cash back on Lyft rides
5% cash back on Amazon, Hotels, & Restaurants starting in April 2024! 5% back on GAS is coming back for another quarter but for now Discover offers 5% back.
1.5% cash back on all other purchases
0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
No annual fee
No minimum to redeem for cash back
Standard offer on both has typically been $150/$500, so this is a small boost. There are occasionally targeted or branch offers of $300 for either of the cards.
Up to 50,000 Hyatt points. 25,000 Bonus Points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Plus an additional 25,000 Bonus Points after a total of $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. See link for details and rough valuation of points.
$95 annual fee, free night award upon card anniversary.
INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There’s no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, select rideshares and online shopping, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
Use your rewards at Amazon.com checkout.
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
Marriott credit cards from Chase and American Express now earn an elevated 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on eligible grocery purchases amid coronavirus.
60,000 American Airlines miles after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
$0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
60,000 American Airlines miles after any purchase in the first 90 days and paying the $99 annual fee. See link for details.
$99 Companion certificate offer. Earn a certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in the first 90 days.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
$99 annual fee.
Citi Premier Card
60,000 points (worth $750 towards travel booked at ThankYou.com) after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
3X points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations.
Must not have gotten bonus from or closed a Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, Premier, or Prestige card in the past 24 months.
$95 annual fee.
Bank of America Premium Rewards Card
50,000 points (worth $500 towards travel) after $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
$100 annual Airline Incidental Statement Credit.
Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
$95 annual fee.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard (Soon to be Alaska Airlines)
50,000 Hawaiian miles after $2,000 in purchases within 90 days. See link for details.
Free first checked bag for primary cardmember when using your card to purchase eligible tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines.
Receive a one-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
$99 annual fee.
During this Coronavirus pandemic your credit card rewards can help you pay for groceries, food delivery and essentials. This is by using points, gift cards, or statement credits from existing cards or new ones with bonuses.
Note: Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of our all-time favorite travel rewards cards up there with the Venture X Card — and right now, it’s offering a welcome bonus of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points. There’s never been a better time to apply for this ultra-well-rounded $95 annual fee card. And we’ll show you why.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Go here and start earning towards summer travel!
Earn 100,000 Points With the Chase Sapphire Preferred
As a new applicant for the Sapphire Preferred, you can earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
This offer is nothing short of incredible; it’s the most generous welcome bonus we’ve seen on this card in nearly four years. We highly recommend this card and this Southwest Airlines offer as our top two deals right now.
What is this Sapphire Preferred welcome offer worth?
The value of the Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus depends on how you choose to redeem your new stash of Ultimate Rewards points. But no matter how you use them, these points are worth a lot.
To get the most value, one of the best strategies is transferring your points to Chase’s 14 travel partners. On average, RewardsCards users redeem Ultimate Rewards points this way for 1.93¢ each — making the bonus worth over $1,900 toward award travel. And Chase has some excellent partners, including Marriott, World of Hyatt, IHG, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and United MileagePlus.
If you’d rather avoid the hassle of transferring points and searching for award space, you can redeem points earned with the Sapphire Preferred at a fixed rate of 1.25¢ each through Chase Travel.
Cardholders can also combine Ultimate Rewards points earned across their entire portfolio of Chase cards into a single account. That makes it easy to maximize card earnings and accumulate enough points toward your next redemption.
Why Should You Get the Sapphire Preferred?
It’s important to remember that the unpredictable economy could limit the availability of large bonuses like this from major banks, such as Chase. This might be the last opportunity before a potential recession or housing market downturn. Accumulate your points and choose the credit cards that will be most beneficial during difficult times, while also investing in future travel and better times.
Welcome bonus aside, the Sapphire Preferred is an incredibly well-rounded travel rewards card. It’s one we recommend to beginners and seasoned travelers alike. Here are just a few reasons why.
Lucrative earning rates
It’s easy to stock up on Ultimate Rewards points thanks to the Sapphire Preferred‘s many bonus categories. With this card, you’ll earn points as follows:
5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
3X points on eligible streaming services
3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
2X points on all other travel
1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Several useful benefits
The Sapphire Preferred has a lengthy list of practical benefits, including:
$50 annual hotel credit.
10% anniversary bonus points on the points you’ve accumulated from purchases over the past year.
Complimentary DashPass from DoorDash.
Primary collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance on car rentals worldwide.
Trip delay reimbursement of up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12+ hours.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $20k per covered trip.
Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay coverage.
Extended warranty and purchase protection.
No foreign transaction fees.
Reasonable annual fee
The Sapphire Preferred offers cardholders a lot of value — and you’ll get it all for just a $95 annual fee.
Who’s Eligible for This Sapphire Preferred Welcome Bonus?
Chase enforces multiple restrictions on rewards credit card applications. The first is a published application rule stating you can’t get the Sapphire Preferred if you currently hold a Sapphire card or have received a signup bonus for one in the previous 48 months.
“The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months…”
Keep in mind that you can still get this increased sign-up bonus if you’re currently an authorized user on another Sapphire Preferred account.
Chase cards are also subject to a second, unpublished rule known as the Chase 5/24 policy. If you’ve been approved for five or more personal credit cards in the previous 24 months (from any card issuer), you likely won’t be approved for this card.
$1,050 in foolproof free travel
While not the absolute highest-possible redemption value, the easiest way to use your Chase points for travel is through the Chase Travel Portal.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can redeem points for airfare, hotel stays, rental cars, and more at a rate of 1.25 cents each. The Chase Sapphire Preferred 100k bonus points offeris worth a guaranteed $1,000 in travel at the very least.
There are several benefits to redeeming your Chase points through the Chase Travel Portal:
It doesn’t require you to be familiar with the intricate aspects of awards travel, such as understanding which airline and hotel transfer partners offer the best value for specific situations.
You can book boutique hotels that don’t participate in a loyalty program.
You won’t have to worry about blackout dates and award availability.
You can also redeem your points in tandem with the Chase Sapphire Preferred annual $50 hotel credit.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers up to $50 in hotel credit each cardmember anniversary year. As long as you pay for a hotel through the Chase Travel Portal with your card, you’ll automatically receive a statement credit within a few days.
Bottom Line
It’s not very often we an increased offer on the Sapphire Preferred — much less one that offers 100,000 points. The offer is normally only 60,000. If you’re eligible to apply for this card and earn the welcome bonus, this is a limited-time card offer that you won’t want to miss!
The food takeout wars have been heating up as new entrants into the market set their sights on market leader GrubHub which currently controls 20% of the $70+ billion market. GrubHub is the most established online ordering service, with over 8.75 million active diners ordering more than 324,600 grubs a day in over 1,000 cities.
Enter your address into the Grubhub app or online here and a list of local restaurants appear. You can refine your search by type of cuisine, rating (one through five stars and up), time of delivery, price, or restaurants that have tracking for your order, restaurants that are new, or restaurants that have coupons.
Existing customers of Grubhub? $10 off GrubHub Days order.
Restaurant options I had around 25 restaurants on my list. Most of them require you to order about an hour in advance. Only one had an option to order 30 minutes in advance. Nearly every restaurant also had an additional fee, from $2 to $6. Make sure to plan ahead when making orders with any delivery service as it may take an hour.
Compare Grubhub to Postmates / UberEats
One of the biggest problems with using Grubhub and Yelp Eat 24 compared to Postmates is that you cannot order from any restaurant. You can order anything from virtually anywhere with Postmates even if they do not have a relationship. You also are not stuck with trying to come up with a minimum order. Minimum orders are not a thing at all with Postmates are you can just order a Starbucks Latte if you pay the delivery fee. Although, Postmates does not offer ratings of restaurants to help you decide which ones are best they also do not let you use coupons. The best thing to find which app offers a better deal from the restaurant you frequent the most. One other benefit of using Grubhub is that when they give you a promo code you can use it towards the entire bill and you cannot do this with Postmates. For example. The current promo code for Grubhub is $7 off which you get off the total bill compared with Postmates you only get $10 off only the delivery fee and not the food or drink.
How Does Grubhub Make Money? GrubHub’s success has been driven by providing a superior customer experience on both sides. For its restaurant clients, its online ordering platform provides an instant boost in takeout sales. For its grubbers, they promise a fully cooked made-to-order meal at their doorsteps within an hour of ordering. Diners can even track their orders on a special GrubHub app. GrubHub charges the restaurants 14.2% of the food bill. Although it doesn’t charge diners for using its service, restaurants can apply a small delivery charge.
The food delivery business is still growing rapidly. The only way to determine which one deserves your business is to try them both and compare them to their next competitor such as Door Dash or UberEats.
Compare Grubhub to Yelp and Eat24
Yelp has more than 1 million restaurants reviewed on its site, it also owns OpenTable and UrbanSpoon where its users can make reservations at restaurants they have reviewed. Yelp’s purchase of Eat24 added online ordering of restaurant takeout food. For the restaurants that Eat24 serviced, which numbered about 20,000 at the time, Yelp added a widget to takeout diners’ orders after they reviewed the restaurant.
At the core of the services offered by both companies is an online ordering engine that quickly connects diners with the restaurants of their choice. Both of their applications, which are available on desktop and mobile devices, provide users with easy navigation experiences to search for restaurants by a multitude of criteria. With Eat24, users can find their restaurant directly through the Eat24 application or from Yelp’s review site. The list can be parsed by categories like “Top Rated,” “Distance,” “Newest,” and “Minimum Order.”
In comparison, GrubHub has a library of twice as many restaurants to order from. Both offer free delivery in one hour or less, notifications updating order status, 24/7 customer service and order recall. Eat24 relies on the restaurant’s own delivery driver or a third-party service. GrubHub has operated the same way in the past but uses its own drivers in certain cities. That gives GrubHub an edge in the delivery wars because the biggest complaint from food delivery customers is late delivery.
Grubhub has a larger footprint and has built a solid reputation for customer service. Eat24 is less established, but it has access to Yelp’s 130 million monthly visitors. If you use Yelp to look at restaurant reviews, you connect to Eat24 by clicking a button.
Update: Recently Grubhub bought out the Eat24 service from Yelp. They will now begin to combine the two to grow Grubhub.
Amazon is offering Prime Members and Grubhub+ Members: $10 Off Grubhub Food Orders $20 or More with PROMO COUPON CODE: GOLD10 (valid through June 8, 2025). Free shipping w/ Prime or over $35. Not a prime member to get free Grubhub+ then go here to sign-up for free trial of Prime.
Grubhub is offering GrubHub+ members four weeks of deals:
GrubHub plus deals from Taco Bell to Starbucks to Chipotle half off delivered to your door!
Discover Card has made many positive changes in the past year and now we are starting to blog about them again. If you think that Discover is outdated or not competitive with other banks you better think again. One news anchor reporting on Discover was shocked people still use Discover. Oh yes, there are many of us out there and we are getting cash back and loving it. The credit card company recently rolled out a new Travel Card and offer some great bonus cards that you do not see on many blogs mainly because they do not get a referral. Let’s start with a $50 bonus promotion card because we love a good sign-up offer. If you are not already a cardmember then you can get a $100 Bonus by applying here.
You can sign up through this $100 Discover it® Link to get a $100 (formerly a $50 Cashback Bonus) after your first purchase within 3 months of approval. The $100 bonus will be credited to your Discover it card account within 2 billing cycles of your first purchase for any amount. This is made available through the Discover Refer-A-Friend Program, where both the referring member and new applicant receive the $50. Once you are a cardholder you can participate in the Discover referral program to earn a $50 bonus for each new member referred. So give share this and the link with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.
Get 5% – 10% on Gas and More! You’ll earn 5% Cashback Bonus on Gas stations and Sam’s Club on up to $1,500 in purchases and more for 2025 Discover will match that for new cardmembers of 10x the cash back!
If you are a new cardmember and sign up for the Double Cash Back offer you can get ip to 12% Cash Back at Department Stores, Sam’s Club, and Amazon online. You can get 5% extra Cashback Bonus at Sam’s Club and SamsClub.com, 5% extra Cashback Bonus at Department Stores, and at Amazon.com right now. It will be doubled and added to your regular 1% back so that totals 12% if you were signed up for the Double Promotion on top of this. With the Sam’s and Discover promo you need to log-in and click on the links in “Discover Deals” then pay with your Discover card at checkout within three hours. There does not seem to be a maximum on this cashback but with Amazon just use your card and it is automatic up to $1,500 in spend.
Comparison Chart below that compares Blue Cash Everyday Card from AMEX, Chase Freedom, Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards, Citi Double Cash Card, and Bank Americard Cash Rewards to the Discover IT Card. You will notice that Bank Americard is among the worst according to Discover. Also, the Chase Freedom is pretty competitive and it also offers a sign-up bonus. I have both cards myself. On a personal note the Capital One Quicksilver is one of my favorite cards in my wallet because it gives 1.5x rewards and it actually does let you redeem for any amount and works well with Apple Pay.
5%Cashback Bonus on Restaurant and Movie purchases between April 1 and June 30 is my favorite thing about the card this coming quarter. Mainly because this normally counts as bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and fast food which I spend a a lot of money on when traveling. The up to $1,500 I will max out in a month and that will be a free $75 towards my statement. Don’t forget to sign-up now before the promotion starts or before you use your card at one of those establishments.
